It it incredible to think that “Vocabulary at age 4 is the best predictor of achievement at age 16 out of all measures yet studied” – Roulstone et al 2011 Continue Reading
At the end of every year, the NQTs who have just completed their first year of teaching pass on their advice to the NQTs who are just starting. This is always a good opportunity for them to reflect on their practice and we end up with some good advice, not just for new teachers but also those of us who have been in the job for a while! So here is some of the advice that they shared: Continue Reading
A year ago we changed the way we offered staff development by launching an Enquiry Hub model. The thinking behind this project was to open up the thinking in our school beyond the questions that we usually pose our teachers and let them set the agenda for their learning. This was the most exciting thing about the whole venture: unlike traditional CPD, we weren’t sure what the answers would be, or even what questions would be asked.
Yesterday Heads of Department and SLT spent a day looking at exercise books across our school. Here is what we learnt. Continue Reading
At our Head of Department meeting this week we considered the intent behind our curriculum and tested how well we were able to answer the questions that underpin the curriculum decisions we have made. Continue Reading
Perhaps because most of us are still up to our necks in mock marking, I’ve been reflecting on some of the time-effective marking practices that we have been advocating as a school over the past few years. I thought it would be a good time to gather together just some of the ideas on this topic and share them again with you. Continue Reading
